OPERATOR AGE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Mandatory Boating Safety Education Certificate
Unless exempted below, no person born on or after December 31, 1986, may operate a motorboat or personal watercraft on any waters of West Virginia without first having obtained a certificate of boating safety education from this or any other state.
This certificate must be in the possession of the person operating a motorboat or personal watercraft on the waters of this state. The operator shall show the certificate on demand of any law-enforcement officer authorized to enforce the provision of the West Virginia Code.
Exemptions
- A person who is a nonresident of this state and who is visiting the state for 60 days or less in a motorboat or personal watercraft from another state if that person:
- Is fifteen years of age or older; and
- has been issued a boating safety education certificate by his or her state of residence in accordance with the criteria recommended by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators
- A person who is visiting the state for ninety days or less in a motorboat or personal watercraft from a country other than the United States.
- A person who is operating a motorboat or personal watercraft in connection with commercial purposes.
- A person who is operating a motorboat or personal watercraft which was purchased by the person within the previous forty-five-day period and who has not been previously charged with a violation of any provision of chapter twenty [§20] of the West Virginia Code involving the use or registration of a motorboat or personal watercraft.
- The Division will issue a certificate of boating safety education to any person who passes any course on safe boating.
- A person who is visiting the state for ninety days or less in a motorboat or personal watercraft from a country other than the United States;
- A person who is operating a motorboat or personal watercraft in connection with commercial purposes; and
- A person who is operating a motorboat or personal watercraft which was purchased by the person within the previous forty-five-day period and who has not been previously charged with a violation of any provision of this chapter involving the use or registration of a motorboat or personal watercraft.
No person who owns a motorboat or personal watercraft or who has charge over a motorboat or personal watercraft may authorize or knowingly permit it to be operated unless the person operating the motorboat or personal watercraft has the certificate as required by law.
Age Restrictions
No person under the age of fifteen (15) shall operate or be permitted to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft upon the waters of the State, except persons twelve (12) to fifteen (15) years of age may operate a motorboat or personal watercraft if a person over eighteen (18) years of age is aboard the motorboat or personal watercraft. However, persons twelve (12) to fifteen (15) years of age may operate a motorboat up to a maximum of ten (10) horsepower without having an adult on board.
|
